His question made me self-conscious but also happy. He looked to be in about the same shape as me, but I didn't want to hold him back... or breathe so hard that I sound like I'm dying. I nodded and we set off again at not too fast a pace. I wondered if he was just holding back to be kind to me or if he wasn't a runner to start with too. Either way, it was fun. I liked the company and the competition. He pushed me to do better than I normally did- walk a little less, run that last quarter of a mile with more umph than usual, make sure my form wasn't falling apart at the seams. For the first time ever, I was actually disappointed that my run was over.
"Thank you for being my run-buddy today. It's more enjoyable when you aren't alone, I guess. This was my first time running with anybody." I realized I was giving this man an earful and rambling because of how nervous he makes me and how out of breath I was already. Poor guy. I took a deep calming breath and he let me just take a beat to relax. "Well, guess it's time I get on walking home! It's a good cool-down. Bye!" I did a little wave and turned towards my house when I felt a little tap on my shoulder.
"I was actually wondering if you might be up to hanging out?" He let the question hang in the air for a moment. My eyes widened excitedly. He must REALLY like me if he wants to hang with me when I look and smell like this. Sweat was pouring off me. I was about to shoot him down when he spat out, "I have a hot tub? We can go by your house and grab your swimsuit?"
"Yea! Who doesn't love a hot tub with a hot man?" My play on words surprised even me. Who says hot man... total facepalm moment. This was definitely one of those times where I spoke before thinking. I could only hope that he thought it was either cute or just a weird way to say that he was also sweating. But who really comments on a near-strangers sweat. I just couldn't help but dig this hole for myself.
We smiled at each other, for me it was an awkward one but his didn't look too forced. Walking towards his car, there was a companionable silence between us. Normally I felt the need to fill gaps in conversation with more random topics, but the run had tired me out and I was still catching my breath.
He drove me over to my house and waited in the car while I ran in to get a bathing suit. That was when I was faced with my new conundrum- what does a girl wear to a hot guy's house? I had my plain family-approved bathing suit. It was navy and slimmed my figure. I liked it fine, but it didn't scream "sexy" or even "cute", and I definitely wanted William to think I was cute. My brain sidetracked to thinking about the name William. It sounded so stiff in today's society, but somehow fit him just fine. Looking down at my drawer again, I saw the hot pink bikini I bought online last summer. I never had the guts to wear it anywhere, or the reason to. I only ever swam around my family. My grandmother would have had things to say about my stomach showing that I just didn't want to hear, but would William? Or would he appreciate the view? It wasn't as though all of my body was bad. I liked the way my hair fell on my shoulders, right above the swell of my breasts. I liked my long legs. Maybe those reasons weren't good enough to want to show off all my insecurities, but then if he didn't embrace my insecurities about my body then I wouldn't want him anyways. I grabbed the hot pink suit and wrapped a towel around my body to cover myself from the cold air. I stuffed a fuzzy robe in a tote to take with me for afterwards and ran back out to the car.
I noticed his eyes taking me in as I buckled up. I couldn't wait to show him what was under the towel; I needed to know if his attraction would grow or fade before I let myself get too excited by his company. Maybe we could still remain running buds though if he wasn't into me. He drove only two blocks away and parked in the driveway of a light blue house. It wasn't too big or too small, and I must've passed it a million times going to and from my mother's house. He lived so close to me.
"It's just through here." He lead me through his house to get to the back porch. It was enclosed and the hot tub was in the corner. He pushed a button to turn the jets on and motioned for me to hop in. I took the towel off and turned towards him. His eyes roamed my body again, and I might have took a breath to push my chest out a little extra. I heard the deep breath he took and then he was taking my towel. He carefully folded it and placed it on the lounge chair next to the hot tub and motioned for me to get in. "I'll just be a minute. I need to go change. Be right back cutie."
